, Fla. — Port Canaveral is officially the world’s busiest cruise port, according to industry rankings released this week.
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Canaveral had 4,072,396 multi-day passengers last year, narrowly topping PortMiami’s 4,022,544.
“It’s great to have the industry back,” Port Canaveral leader Cpt. John Murray said in a news conference.
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Canaveral’s growth comes as huge new ships are choosing to make Canaveral home. Murray said in 2024, Allure of the Seas will begin a new schedule that will see embarkments happen more frequently.
Murray again mentioned the port’s early plans to build a new cruise ship terminal to accommodate the growth.
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Industry analysts believe Canaveral will lose its new crown soon, with Miami expected to grow to more than 8 million passengers by 2027.
However, Murray called the estimates for his port – 6.4 million passengers by 2027 – conservative.
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